CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Museum of Natural History has announced a massive expansion project as part of a $150 million fundraising campaign.
On Thursday, the museum announced it has surpassed $100 million in donations, allowing the museum to break ground on the expansion. The museum says the renovations will allow it to reimagine its campus and exhibits.
“We are thrilled to break ground on the reimagining of the Museum while also celebrating reaching the $100 million milestone in our campaign, thanks to the generosity of many donors,” said Sonia Winner, the museum’s president & CEO. “Together, we are creating a new model for how natural history museums can illuminate the ways in which we—and all living things—are connected.
Areas of the museum will remain open during the renovations, with phased openings of new and remodeled spaces starting in 2022.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural history says its vision is to “promote scientific literacy and empower individuals to be a voice for the planet in their communities.”
Part of the expansion will be a 50,000 welcome space on where a parking lot currently sits. The new visitor area will feature “Lucy,” the 3.2-million-year-old human ancestor first discovered by a team that included members of the Natural HIstory Museum. Other exhibits included in the new visitor area include a geological sample collected from the moon and specimens of modern-day animals illustrating evolutionary change, biological diversity and human impact on the natural world.
The new welcome area will be open for free, the museum said.
“By placing visitors at the center of the experience, our reimagined museum will be even more accessible and relevant,” said museum trustee Sally Sears. “I have never been as excited as I am today about the Museum’s future, and look forward to helping bring our vision to reality as chair of the Board of Directors.”
Construction will begin July 6. Some exhibits, including the planetarium, will go offline starting July 6. Further details are on the museum's website.